Persona: After Story
by wordsworthy
Summary: The end of one story heralds the beginning of another. Even as life continues in Inaba, everyone will realise that things will never ever be boring given the friends they choose to stick with. Especially when a new transfer student arrives. A P3P&4 story.
1. Another Story Begins

Persona: After Story by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own The Shin Megami Tensei series since obviously Atlas does, along with all other references made over the course of the story. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

* * *

Chapter 1: Another Story Begins

_A kind, mellow voice._

"_Don't cry…"_

_A slender finger reached up, a lone tear caught upon its nook._

"_It'll be okay…"_

_A cool, gentle touch enveloped his hand, yet a soft warmth enveloped my heart._

"_I'm just… taking a little nap… I'm… rather tired…"_

_The sound of footsteps and familiar voices melded into a vague blackness._

"_Although… it might be a little… longer this time…"_

* * *

"Uguu…"

A throaty groan emanated from deep within me as my body rose out of my cosy little nest of quilts on its own accord, reaching out blindly for a few moments before it struck the offending pink contraption that was making my ears ring with just the barest hint of a sting on my left hand. I crumpled right there in a heap, snuggling back under my covers, unwilling to face the reality that I was awake. And I almost succeeded too, if not for the sudden eruption of another, one, two, three, four, five…

"Alright, alright! I get it! I'm up! I'm up!" I exclaimed in exasperation as I righted myself into a seating position, bonking the heads of five other errant kitty cats in quick succession beside my bed to stop their chorus of morning calls.

I sighed deeply before rubbing my blurry eyes kittenishly with the back of my hands.

"Honestly… why do I do this to myself…"

"Mew."

I looked up at the edge of my bed in time to see my favourite white ball of fur yawn and stretch out its four tiny legs, kicking adorably in the air before curling back into her preferred napping position. The sleepy kitten rolled about on its back twice before her pointy ears pricked up. Peeking out of a thin slit that was her eye, her other followed suit as she rolled herself over and looked cutely at me.

"Mew."

I melted straight away.

"Aww… you're why." I reminded myself as I moved towards my little bundle of joy, which coincidentally did the same and pounced straight into my busom.

"Mew."

"And a good morning to you too Milk." returned I of the greeting as I raised the furry white kitten up to kiss it twice.

"Mew."

I looked towards the pink Hello Kitty clock left on my bed and winced slightly before placing it back with its other five sisters.

"You're right… I better get moving if I don't want to be late."

Milk mewed in her usual adorable manner in agreement as I placed her square atop my head, one of her favourite perches if I might add, while I rummaged around my drawers for a fresh change of clothes, underthings and a towel. Was it safe to have a kitty on my head? Of course. Milk knows better than to have her claws out when she is on me; she was a very considerate baby after all. Having gathered what I needed, I made my way to the bathroom, all the while making it a game of balancing my precious kitty. It's silly I know. I always win anyway. Perhaps that was how I developed my unique ability to balance a small cat on my head, brush my teeth and daydream at the same time. Or maybe it was the other way around.

_I had that dream again…how many times does that make? Hmmm…_

I took the moment to gargle a mouthful of water as I hummed.

_Then again… it didn't really feel that bad, although I did freak out the first ten or so times I had it… it's not like it was really scary or anything. Just a little sad… I wonder just whose memory that was…_

My right hand rose unbidden towards the left of my front, feeling the strong rhythmic beat that laid underneath with a reverent, feathery touch of my fingers as I leaned in towards the mirror. I narrowed my gaze upon its reflection, as though trying to convince myself that the crimson irises looking back at me were indeed my own, that the girl with messy russet bed hair was indeed who I was, who I had always been, who I had always meant to be…

"_**Am I the dream or the dreamer…**_" uttered I unconsciously in English.

"Mew."

The familiar meow of the precious feline atop my head broke me out of my reverie with a little shiver.

"Ah… thanks Milk. I was actually feeling depressed there for some strange reason." I slapped my cheeks lightly with the palm of my hands a few times. "Ikenai, ikenai. It's going to be another great, happy day for us! A new happy beginning! Right Milk?"

"Mew."

"Sou…" I began as I started combing down my unruly bed hair, trying to get the kinks in my curls untangled. "I will be happy. I am sure of it."

* * *

The scent of dew hung refreshingly over the cool morning air while the dainty chirps of unseen birds speckled the quiet from the lush treetops. Spring was definitely making its round in full force, and signs of a great day were splashed all about; the cheerful greetings of friends, the quick footsteps of panicky brisk-walking girls, the curt screeching of rubber, the faint smell of burnt rubber and a certain upended yellow bike lying on its side…

"Whoaaaa…!"

"Ahh!"

The promise of a great turned out less probable for at least two semi-winded young ones after an almost-collision left a surprised redhead down on the pavement with a sore rump, while a lanky brunette was slightly worse off, being caught between the asphalt and and his flashy neon-yellow BMX.

"Ngh…. Urrrrghhhh… What gives… didn't I already do this last year?" muttered the high school senior self-depreciatively at his painful bout of déjà vu.

"Uguu… Itai… Ah!"

The other half of the "accident-ed" duo quickly swept the flimsy dark chequered fabric back in place over her legs.

"Did you see…" began the girl timidly.

"Huh? See what?" replied the older boy as he turned his head towards her, belatedly.

"N-Nothing." stammered the girl quickly as she picked herself off the pavement and dusted herself once over. Once satisfied that nothing else was likely to remain showing, the russet-haired girl turned to her victim and bowed deeply.

"Gomenasai sempai. I was in a hurry to get to school so I wasn't paying attention to who else might be turning the corner…"

"…"

"Erm… sempai?" started the girl once again at the elongated pause, sneaking in a peek from the corner of her left eye.

"Ah… erm… ya… don't worry about it… Just be careful next time. Good thing I'm a sturdy guy… er.. haha…" recovered the senior in a somewhat suspicious fashion. "Erm… you new here? I don't remember seeing you before."

"Hai. I just moved here a few days ago. Today's my first day in school."

"I see. Is that why you're so… excited?"

"Hai! Aren't you, sempai?"

The senior student gave the younger one a weird quirk of his eyebrows.

"… You're a weird one aren't you? Hmm… in any case, go straight down this road and make a left at the first turn you see and that will be the school. You should get there a little earlier to report to the faculty office. I will be right behind you, after I get my bike sorted…"

"Ah! You're right! Thank you sempai, and sorry for just now!"

"Don't mention it...Oh by the way, I'm…"

The effusive younger girl was already halfway down the road and out of earshot.

"Ah great… typical Hanamura luck."

* * *

Thanks to my little daydream in the bathroom earlier, I was slightly late in handing Milk over to the kind obasan at the tofu shop. She had offered to take care of her while I was at school, much to my relief. Not that she minded me turning up late or anything, but it did make me run just a little later… and then there was that accident too… so I thought I give my legs a try after all this time…

"Uguu…" and this was the result; heavy panting, wobbly legs, using two hands against the wall in order to support myself…

"I can't believe just how… out of shape I am…"

Well, it could not be helped I reasoned in between pants. I was not able to do much for such a long while after all, although it felt more like the rest of my body were not able to keep up with what I wanted to do. 'It', however, was working like a charm. I held my hand briefly against 'it' to feel that reassuring beat once more.

_A powerful one at that._

Gulping down several more breaths for good measure, I raised my hand and rapped on the door to the faculty office three times. I winced slightly at how loud the knocks turned out to be, but a faint "come in" could be heard beyond it.

Fixing the yellow ribbon slightly for little reason, I entered and yelled out a little more loudly than I had intended… as usual.

"Shitsurei shimasu!"

* * *

A certain buzz hung noisily over the classroom as a certain pigtailed redhead slid open the door and entered the classroom with the usual fanfare of fervent male favour and enthusiastic greetings. Not that it was new to the girl since she had been clamoured, pawed and talked about so much that it had become merely routine for her. However, what did surprise her slightly was that the buzz seemed to linger even after she paid her share of pleasantries and beatific smiling facades. A little puzzled, she thought little of it as she turned her attention to the remainder of the classroom and made a beeline for an eclectic pair at the back of the class. A burly white-haired boy who looked overaged and a short boyish-looking girl in a boy's uniform. Her friends.

"Yo. Good to see ya." greeted the gangly boy in his usual manner.

"You too Kanji. I didn't expect all three of us to be together in the same class though. Did you have something to do with this Naoto-kun?"

"I'll leave things to your imagination." answered the sleuth in an enigmatic fashion.

"Still… to be together in Sempai's old classroom… Do you really miss him that much? It's only been three weeks" asked the former starlet coyly, feeling the need to tease the stoic girl who stole the big catch from under her nose.

"W-What?" stammered the not-so-stoic-anymore girl.

The pigtailed girl got a little closer to her friend and nudged her side slightly with her elbow.

"I didn't see you give a lovey dovey goodbye like I would have pictured… or did you already do something on the sly, hmmm? You dog, you."

Naoto's hand shot to her watch a little too obviously as her cheeks coloured.

"I'll leave that to…"

"My imagination right? You sure that's a good idea?"

"Rise!"

"Good grief." commented Kanji from the side as he rolled his eyes. The less bashful of his friends rolled around on her desk in stitches while the other fumed and blushed from the curious looks of their new classmates.

"Hahaha… ah… that hit the spot." said Rise after she calmed down, satisfied with her tease. Noticing the still persistent ambient chatter, the knitted her brows together briefly.

"Hey, is something happening today? Everyone seems kinda excited about something, and I'm pretty sure it's not me this time."

"Don't know. It's been going on for a while now."

"Ah that…" began the sleuth who had less colour in her face now. "From what I could pick out, other than wondering who the new homeroom teacher will be, there's a new transfer student coming in today. Apparently, they're debating whether it will be a cool stud or a hot babe."

"Hmm… Transfer student huh? I wonder if it will be an interesting person."

The answer to that thought would have to be put on hold for the moment as the door to the classroom slid open once more, revealing 2-2's homeroom teacher for this year.

"Goooood mornin'."

"Oh great…" muttered the three friends immediately under their breath.

"I'm Noriko Kashiwagi, your new homeroom teacher starting today. I'll be sure to take good care of all of you this year, especially you, Ms Kujikawa."

"Erm… thank you?" replied a wary Rise as her forehead twitched in response to the ominous undertones. Thankfully, Kashiwagi decided to go on another rant about 'youth' and how useless it is compared to her 'experience' and 'age' rather than going to work on the starlet.

"Hey Kanji, what would it take to make Kashiwagi disappear?" asked Rise in a hushed voice.

"I don't know, a TV?" shrugged the irritated boy nonchalantly.

"Oi." shushed the sane one among the three.

"Erm… Sensei?"

An uncertain voice drifted in from the corridor.

"Huh? Oh right. Today we have a new transfer student, and it just so happens that she proves my point about young people today being little more than useless sickly jailbaits with just a pretty face and no substance. This sickly riff-raff…"

"Erm… Sensei?"

"Aw right, come in here already!"

All eyes turned to the door as it slid open, revealing a pale, slender girl that the dark Yasogami uniform seemed to flatter. Her rich reddish-brown hair was pulled back into a bushy ponytail, held by a blue hair-band and barrettes that formed two Xs and two Is. A set of pink headphones hung dormant and loosely on her creamy neck, highlighting just one of her lovely features that made the male half of the class immediately sit up and take notice.

"She is so cute!"

The undercurrent of excited chatter seemed to grow louder after the girl seemed to inexplicably trip over her own legs, letting slip a cute exclamation mark and some endearingly clumsy steps.

"A natural airhead. They really exist?" uttered Rise in disbelief, a mild sense of insecurity welling up inside her.

"G-Good morning everyone. I am very happy to make your acquaintance."

"Boku?" observed Naoto off-handedly of the transfer student's use of the male pronoun as the girl continued with her introductions, until Kanji raised his hand, causing the whole class to go quiet at once. He gave a dirty look to his immediate neighbour who cringed, as though afraid that Kanji was trying to hit him.

"That's nice and all, but could you get to what your name is exactly?"

"Ah… My name is Tsukimiya Kimiko (月宮 公子)."

_

* * *

_

_And this is her story._

* * *

Author's notes:

Here's a little something new to show that I am indeed alive. Time is really at a premium for me at the moment despite how much I want to put pen down my stories, and that's really putting things mildly.

Anyways, there are a few concepts that I will be trying out in this story, but I'll leave it up to you readers to pick out what they are for now. Things will become clearer as the story progresses, so I won't be spoiling things before that. However, I will make it clear that this will mainly be a P4-P3 story.

And as a side-note, to my readers of Fate Rewritten and other fics, I will get back to them as soon as I can find time to do so. They aren't dead yet, even though at times I wish I was. Erebus is a terrible thing.

Please read and review, speculate and decorate if you have any comments on this chapter, or if you think you figured out what my story will be like. Encouragement will make my hand itch that much sooner and make me lunge for my pen that much quicker.


	2. Kimiko

Persona: After Story by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own The Shin Megami Tensei series since obviously Atlas does, along with all other references made over the course of the story. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

* * *

Chapter 2: Kimiko

"Kimiko-san, shall we have lunch together?"

"I'd love to." replied the brunette cheerfully, already helping the other three girls in joining their tables together.

"Kimiko-san, how was your first week in our school so far?"

"Hmm… it's the first time I've been around so many people near my age in a while, so it's a little dizzying…"

"Maa… you'll get used to it in no time."

"Yeah, that would be great…"

"Are you having a homemade bento again?" asked one of the friendly trio curiously, to which the new girl nodded sheepishly, revealing the pink cloth of her neatly-wrapped lunchbox from her schoolbag.

"That's so nice. My mom hardly has time to cook for me at all, so all I have to make do with are store-bought riceballs."

"Me too. I can't remember the last time I had anything other than melon bread either."

"Isn't that because you have a sweet-tooth?"

"And what's wrong with that? It's not like your jam buns are any better!"

The new girl smiled warmly at her new friends' lunchtime banter before noticing the mostly convenient store fare before them.

"Erm… If you like, please have some of mine."

"Eh? Is that really okay?"

"Score!"

The lid of the pink lunchbox slid off the brunette's lunch, unveiling the contents of the fabled homemade bento to the three tantalized girls.

A chorus of "Ohh!"s went up before toothpicks were gratefully received and utilized.

"Ah, the teriyaki chicken is delish!"

"There are cherry tomatoes too!"

"And this sweet omelet is just hea-ven-ly! It's so creamy!"

"I think I'm gonna cry!"

"Wow, your lunchbox is just amazing! Your mother must be an unbelievable cook!"

The new girl's fond smile faltered a little at that last compliment, becoming a little wistful.

"Actually… it's my Aunt Mari that makes my bento. I don't stay with my mother any more…"

"Eh? Why is tha- Ow!"

Fortunately, the question was left incomplete thanks to a not so discrete pinch by the two more sensible girls.

"Well, then that makes Kimiko's aunt the amazing one."

"Um!" hummed the girl in full agreement, already back in good cheer.

* * *

"Tsukimiya Kimiko, age 16. Date of birth: 26 December 1995, Capricorn, type O, height 160cm. A transfer student from many places, most recently Iwatodai, it appears that she had some form of debilitating illness that kept her from going to school until quite recently. Due to similar reasons, she seems to be sitting out on P.E. lessons for a while, indicating very low physical ability. She seems to do okay for her other subjects, but is ultimately below average at best. Hmm… and apparently, she doesn't live with her parents, indicating a possibility that she could be on bad terms with her parents…"

"Naoto-kun, have you ever heard of the term 'privacy'?" chided Rise disparagingly of the other girl's bad habit.

"Like you do with 'modesty' and 'personal space'." deflected the Detective Prince deftly with a wry smile. "It's my way of getting to know our new classmate."

"Good luck with that, bonehead. I think you already scared her half to death with your 'interrogation' the other day." added Kanji of his two-cents worth between bites of his super-sized chilli-dog.

"I did? Hmm, that would explain why she was avoiding me…"

The conversation faded after that observation, with Naoto busy with the notes in his notebook and Kanji ensuring the swift demise of his lunch.

"By the way Rise, why aren't you eating lunch?" asked Naoto in the yet another observation.

"Ugh, I need sleep more than food right now." groaned the former idol, not bothering to raise her head off the table.

"Oh yeah, you've been acting more dopey than usual. What's up, sleeping late?"

"Kinda…" Rise straightened up for a moment before her aching head demanded to be let back down. She eventually settled on leaning on the entirety of her chair and resting her head on Naoto's table behind her. "I've been practicing for my big return to showbiz."

"Practising? In what?" inquired Naoto casually, putting her notebook down on the table to focus on her friend's well-being.

"It's a surprise. It's not presentable yet but I'm kinda in a rut at the moment."

"Hmm… in any case, try to keep your practice in moderation. You're going to be neck up in remediation lessons if your grades slip any further."

"Ugh… way to kill the mood, Naoto-kun."

"Hey Naoto, what did you mean by "cute, in a slightly dimwitted manner"?" asked Kanji all of a sudden. "And who the hell are you calling melodramatic?"

"H-Huh? Kanji! Give my notebook back!"

* * *

The day crawled as slowly as it always did after the lunch break, although Kashiwagi did provide a few disdainful distractions by means of her usual chastising antics against the more popular girls. Relief was rife among the members of the class at the dull clang of the school bell signaling the end the day, although they had to dodge a few parting shots by the teacher with perpetual PMS.

"Rise, wanna walk home together?"

"Sorry Naoto-kun, I'm heading over to the jamming- "

The former idol slapped her hand over her mouth just a second too late to reveal that little nugget of information to a small triumphant smile.

"Naoto-kun…" drawled Rise in a half groan. Naoto was annoying this way. "Don't tell any one yet."

"Mum's the word."

* * *

With her going-home partner indisposed with whatever practice she was having, the Detective Prince walked down the familiar street with slightly more briskness than usual. As much as she would deigned to admit, she did miss the company of the other girl. Well, not in an overly fond sort of way, but rather as a nice change of pace. However, a few drops of moisture soon gave the girl another reason to pick up her pace further.

"Darn…" cussed the quickly sopping wet girl as she broke into a dash for the nearest shelter, a small ledge that protruded from a store that has yet to open for business. Taking off her peak cap, she wiped her short blue hair as best she could with fast-dampening sleeves. "I hate the rain… Argh!"

A gentle, tentative touch surprised the girl into an atypically girlish scream before she could stop it. She blinked blankly at the pink and white sakura-patterned handkerchief.

"Anou… you can use it if you like…"

"T-Tsukimiya-san… what are you doing here?"

"Erm… taking shelter from the rain?" offered the gentle girl meekly.

Realising how out of character she was becoming, she coughed discretely into a closed fist, her mind already in the process of recovering most of her bearings from the surprise.

"R-Right… that makes perfect sense…" Naoto raised an eyebrow at the gentle dabbing she was currently receiving from the slightly taller girl. "Erm… I can do it myself…"

"Umm…" agreed Kimiko off-handedly, although she did continue fussing about the other girl until the other girl had became mostly dry.

"Thanks…"

The two girls stood under the ledge for a while, watching the rain fall idly into the background, unsure of what else to say to each other.

"Erm…" began Naoto with a start. "I believe I owe you an apology."

"Huh?"

"It was brought to my attention that I might have been a little too… nosey in my curiosity with regards to you." explained the junior detective, choosing her words carefully before she decided to heck with it. "I'm sorry if I scared you."

"Ah… it's alright Shirogane-san. I was just a little taken aback. I'm still not very used to people."

The boyish-looking girl smiled in gratitude for her understanding.

"Please call me Naoto."

"Ah, in that case, please call me Kimiko too."

* * *

The untimely shower had eventually let up into a light drizzle before it stopped completely, allowing the two girls to return to their journey home. However, the rain might have been a blessing in disguise, since it gave the two girls the opportunity to get to know each other better, as well as the chance to walk home together.

"Oh, so you are staying at your Aunt's place right now?"

"Yeah, although I hardly see her around at all. She works the night shift so it can't be helped."

"I see. I also heard that you transferred in from Iwatodai."

"That's right."

"What a coincidence, we went on a school trip there last year."

"You don't say."

"Yes. Perhaps we could have passed by each other then as well."

"Hmm… unlikely, unless you stopped by the hospital."

"Oh…" Naoto remained silent for a few pensive moments before continuing. "Erm, I hope you don't find me too forward, but is your illness a taboo subject?"

"Hmm… not really… I had a congenital defect in my heart. Long story short, it was too weak for me to function properly, so I had to spend most of my time in a hospital. Things finally got better after I was granted a transplant from a donor a few years back. I spent the next few years after that in rehab and studying to get back up to speed as a normal highschooler."

"I see… I'm glad you're better now."

"So am I. I'm never going to be a sportswoman or anything, but it feels good to be able to walk without the fear collapsing every few steps."

The two girls continued walking in companionable silence for a while before Naoto made a surprising observation.

"Hmm… no wonder your grades aren't so great… no offense."

"Nyahaha… I'm not that bright to begin with, sadly."

"Well, if you need help, just ask."

"Really? Thanks! That would help me out a lot!" gushed the new girl gratefully before she noticed where she was. "Ah, could we stop by the tofu store for a while?"

"Tofu store? Erm, sure."

* * *

"Good afternoon Oba-san!" greeted the cheerful brunette.

"Ah, Kimiko-chan." returned the old woman at the store just as cheerfully. "Are you here for Milk?"

"Yes, thank you for taking care of her while I'm at school."

"Don't mention it Kimiko-chan. Milk was just a darling. She's napping behind the counter right now though, so I think you better take her basket home too."

"Oh, okay. Sure."

The old woman noticed the shorter girl and beamed happily at her as well.

"Naoto-chan! It's nice to see you again."

"You say that even though I pass by the shop on my way home every time, Oba-san." said the boyish-looking girl with a fond smile, tipping her hat in greeting. "Not that I mind it though."

"I see that Rise's not with you today. I guess she's at her practice again… I hope she's not overworking herself."

"I'm sure she will be fine. I gave her a stern warning today too."

"Rise-san?" asked Kimiko hesitantly, having returned with a small picnic basket in her hands.

"Oh, you didn't know? This is Rise's grandmother. She stays just above the shop."

"Oh! What a coincidence!" Her surprise soon melted away into a more pensive smile. "I wonder if we'll become friends too."

"Don' t worry. She'll like you too. We can have study sessions together."

"Gee, that sounds fun." giggled the girl, not meaning a single word she said.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a rented studio somewhere, a certain brunette sneezed for no good reason.

* * *

The two girls parted ways soon after at the junction just before her apartment complex, after making arrangements to walk to school together in the morning of course. The brunette made her way up the stairs to her Aunt's two bedroom apartment slowly, trying her best not to wake her napping kitten up in the process. A quick turn of the keys and she was finally back in the comfort of her home sweet home of the last week or so.

"I'm home!"

The girl called out to no one in particular, although she did not really expect a response either. It just did not feel right not to begin things with that.

Setting down the picnic basket at the base of her bed, she removed the lid to reveal the small white kitten, still curled up cutely in the midst of her evening nap.

"Aww…" cooed the girl as she smiled warmly at the sight.

Leaving the furry snowball to her feline dreams, Kimiko made her way to kitchen where she found her dinner already prepared as usual, the dishes wrapped with polyethylene, together with a black book and the instructions on how to use the microwave to heat it stuck on the table. Rolling her eyes at the lack of confidence her Aunt had with regards to her ability to use the microwave, the girl placed the dishes into the oven before punching the familiar settings into the control panel.

Seating herself down on the dining table, she opened the black leather-bound book and read the latest entry by her Aunt.

_"Dear Kimiko,_

_I will be on night duty tonight as usual. Dinner's already prepared, so remember to heat it up in the microwave. How are things at school? Did anything interesting happen? Any requests for what you would like for your bento tomorrow? … Sorry for always not being around much… I guess I'm not really doing a good job with the parenting, but please do let me know if you need anything or have any troubles fitting in._

_Yours,_

_A. M."_

The girl smiled at her Aunt's awkward approach to parenting before writing her own entry into the book. She was about done reassuring her Aunt how she's fine and understands the difficulties she has when a sudden whim struck her. Grinning impishly, she penned down it down quickly before the distinct "ding" of the microwave rang out.

Removing the dishes from the microwave, she clapped her hands twice to give thanks for the meal before digging in, marveling at how fast her Aunt's skills were improving from the previously burnt mess she presented. After her meal, the girl brought the dishes to the basin and washed them. She also managed to do a bit of dusting and cleaning before sorting out the combustible trash from the incombustible ones. Knowing how her Aunt would like to have at least some contribution in maintaining the cleanliness of the place, she mercifully left the trash bags by the entrance for her to help out. Thereafter, the girl went to take a nice, long and well-deserved soak in the bath before working on her homework. By the time it was ten, she was already tucked in her futon, fast asleep.

* * *

Nothing else stirred in the apartment other than the gentle rustle of cotton on cloth… that was until the luminous hands on the alarm clock struck twelve. The ears of the white kitten pricked up as the small feline roused from her slumber, her irises shining like green beacons in the non-light. A gentle pat on her little head caused her to mew out softly before leaning unto the slender hand, earning herself a few comforting strokes on her back.

The lights to the dining room lit up after a flick of the switch. Soft footsteps padded lightly towards the basin and back to the dining table, before the pages of the black book were flipped to the latest entry.

"Unagi?"

A soft sigh sounded in the room, followed by the quiet rustle of clothes and soft click of the door.

* * *

A/N: Still in the expository stage. Hope it still piques your interest. If not, check back again after a few chapters. I'm sure the story will pick up then.

* * *

Omake 1: Midnight Cravings

A soft "ding dong" chimed as the automatic doors slid open, revealing a tall burly young man with an ice-cream stick in his mouth and a plastic bag, startling the next random customer that was about to enter the twenty-four hour super mart. The much shorter salaryman looked at the imposing white-haired boy for a while before cowering somewhat, backing slowly away from him, as though afraid of startling some savage animal. The tall boy raised a white eyebrow at the stranger in front of him, before noticing something amiss.

"Oh… sorry." uttered Kanji earnestly as he moved his body gingerly to one side, giving the older man more space to move past him.

The older man gave a crooked smile of gratitude before quickly stepping into the super mart with rickety steps. Fortunately, Kanji took the odd behavior as part of the norm with regards to his usual interaction with others. Shrugging his shoulders, he took out the spent ice-cream stick and replaced it with another Popsicle from the plastic bag.

_These things are strangely addictive._ mulled the delinquent inwardly, having gotten a good dozen or so of them at one shot just to satisfy a sudden craving.

As he set off on his way home though, he heard faint grunts, yelling and the sound of clashing and metallic things falling to the ground coming from a nearby alley.

Thinking it could be some poor guy getting picked upon by one of the random biker gangs again, Kanji sighed before going to check it out, taking up the role of the thankless, biker gang crushing Samaritan again.

When he got to the alley though, all he could do was to blink blankly at the scene. Several bodies were strewn all about the narrow alleyway, although thankfully, they were still able to groan or roll about in the dirt. There was also less blood than he had expected, which made him just a little bit disappointed. Given the tailflags of a bunch of crushed motorbikes a little way off and a few familiar battered mugs, it became obvious that the Inaba Skulls just got owned again.

"Well, I'll be…"

He toed the nearest groaning mess of a gangster wanna-be.

"Yo bonehead, who did this?"

"R-Red… Red! Red! RED!"

A solid thunk kept the beat up guy from becoming hysterical on the white-haired boy, although it did involve yet another bruise on his face.

"Well, whoever it is, he's got balls."

As Kanji turned to leave the scene, in case he got pinned for this one as well, he spotted a small plastic bag hung upon a small nook on the nearby lamppost.

"What the… unagi?"


	3. Friend of a Friend

Persona: After Story by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own The Shin Megami Tensei series since obviously Atlas does, along with all other references made over the course of the story. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

* * *

Chapter 3: Friend of a Friend

Weary eyes gazed lazily on the quickly changing scenes outside of the same pane of glass he had been staring at for the past few hours. He had gotten so used to the steel and granite reminders of urbanity that they held little interest for the young man. The ambient sound of heavy wheels grinding upon metal tracks sounded all too familiar to the seasoned traveler as well, save they were not as jarring as that of conventional rail. Still, a set of grey headphones were placed over his ears, if only to escape the monotonous drone of the monorail.

"Honestly… what was the point of leaving if all they wanted was to send me to another boarding school…"

The young man sighed as he tapped on the 'play' button.

"Hmmm… a little outdated, but still good."

"_There's no man's land  
No man ever survived  
Invisible hands are  
Behind you just now  
If you ever win that  
Race against rage then  
You'll be king coz  
It's no man's land"_

He had thought the catchy tune would take his mind off the extenuating circumstances behind his latest displacement of residences but unfortunately, the lyrics seemed to fit a bit too well to let them be.

"Attention passengers, we would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused by the delay. The next stop is Iwatodai."

The young man waited for the carriage slow down and come to a halt before he got up on his feet, slinging his slightly worn-out luggage on his back before heading out.

"_Let it out  
Let it down  
Let it inside  
Let loose  
Letting letting damn depressed  
Let's get it up"_

"Iwatodai. Iwatodai. The final train bound for Tatsumi Port Island. Please make sure you board in time for departure. Iwatodai. Iwatodai…" blared the announcement for the last train out of the station.

The young man tugged lightly on his sleeve to take a quick look at the time before covering it up. It would not do for the precious timepiece to be damaged or scratched in any way after all. After checking for directions on a nearby directory board, the traveler was well on his way once more.

"_Robust  
All dust  
We bust  
Justice to the man with no life "_

Even after having consulted the street directory earlier, the lack of any other significant landmark, features or signage after having walked a considerable distance gnawed away at the young man. He had grown accustomed to finding and analyzing clues over the past year after all. Just as he was wondering if he should continue forward or retrace his steps, the power to his mp3 player appeared to give out.

"_Burn your drea-."_

The young man stopped in his tracks briefly, tapping the mp3 player lightly to see if he could coax the device to work again.

"Damn, battery's dead…"

He was about to carry on his trek before he realized he was standing before a peculiar brick and stone building with an exaggerated porch and a distinct western design.

"Hmmm… some luck at last."

Having arrived at his destination, he reached for the chromed door handle and gave it a go. Coincidentally enough, his mp3 player chose that exact moment to come back to life.

"_Burn your dread..."_

* * *

"Ki-mi-ko-chan!"

"Shall we have lunch together?"

The meek brunette beamed and nodded in agreement as the other three nearby tables were quickly commandeered and converted into their group's little picnic table.

"Uwaa… smoked eel? What an amazingly luxurious dish for a packed lunch!"

"It was a whim …" admitted Kimiko with an amused shrug. "I never thought my aunt would be able to pull it off."

"Dips on first taste."

"Hey, no fair!"

"En garde!"

The three lively lunch-mates made a little show of some fancy chopstick martial arts action by intercepting each other's attempt to pick up a piece of the eel. The little contest seemed like it was going to last a while before a discreet cough caught their attention.

"Ahem… am I interrupting something?"

"Nao…"

"Nao…"

"Nao…"

"Ah… Naoto-kun." finished Kimiko helpfully of her friends' jarring attempts at the newcomer's name. "Is anything the matter?"

The said blue-nette gave the three other frozen girls a quick quirk of her brows before focusing her attention squarely on her new friend.

"I'm running a study session later for two others. Would you like to join in?"

"Ah, I would love to. Thank you for the invitation."

"Great, we'll walk back together after school then."

"Okay. See you then."

Kimiko saw the shorter girl off with a friendly wave before she was promptly grilled about her newly discovered relationship with the mysterious girl by her three lunch mates.

"Kimiko-chan! That was the Detective Prince right?"

"How did you get to know her!"

"And you two are on first-name basis already!"

"P-Please calm down you three…"

Naturally, with the ferocity and speed of the questions directed towards the slightly slow brunette, Kimiko had little recourse but to back away until her back was pressed up against the wall, all the while pleading for her friends to heel.

"Hey Naoto-kun, what did you tell them to get them so worked up?" asked Rise out of sheer curiosity at the surprisingly comical display.

The blue-nette gave the pigtailed starlet a wry smile.

"I just invited her to our study session at your place."

"What study session… no… nononononono! No!"

The unusually melodic death wail drew its share of curious onlookers as well, although there were a few others giving a suspiciously mound of white hair slinking around the tables in the background.

"That means you too Kanji!"

"D'oh!"

It would appear that this year's class 2-2 would prove no less spoilt for choice in terms of oddity and entertainment value than last year's.

* * *

After a masterful display of shepherding skills and a few attempted breakaways by the reluctant lambs, the eclectic group of four finally managed to reach tofu shop that doubled up as the home of one of them. It was an unlikely group to be sure; a starlet currently on hiatus, a gangly young man with an ambivalent reputation, a female sleuth with a penchant for male clothing and a mostly normal girl who was cute but ultimately average by all other counts. Then again, while the differences were glaring, that never stopped people from forming unique links with each other before, especially for the people in a small town like Inaba.

"I'm warning you Kanji, one false move and you'll be bleeding in places other than your nose."

"W-What are you warning me for!"

"Just because!"

The noisy group had made their way past the front of the store and up the stairway at the back after greeting Rise's grandmother, picking up a certain white furball in the meanwhile. In the process, the pigtailed starlet found it prudent to warn the only male of the group of certain… things he should not be doing in a girl's room.

"Are they… together?" whispered the newest member in this weird circle of friends curiously.

Naoto promptly, and quite uncharacteristically, doubled up in laughter right there on the stairs while the newly formed dysfunctional couple simply stood there aghast as their blood ran cold with horror.

"What! No way!"

The Detective Prince felt her sides give way further at the uncanny synchrony shown in her friends' exclamation and the way their expressions mirrored their abject abhor at the idea.

"Yea, how did you guess?"

"NAOTO!"

* * *

"Mataku…" fumed Rise indignantly as she plonked herself down on her favourite comforter. "Naoto-kun has such a mean sense of humour. You're more like the evil Queen than the Detective Prince."

"Hahaha… it was funny at the time…"

"Hah! You don't see me beating the crap out of people just 'cause it's funny… ah wait… never mind…"

Kimiko could not help but giggle politely at the group's interaction.

"Hehehe… I'm sorry. It's just that you two make such a cute…"

"STOP!" pleaded both Kanji and Rise desperately, both raising a hand in a 'stop' signal. The oblivious honesty of the new supposedly average girl was proving to be quite devastating.

"See, I told you two she was interesting." commented Naoto not so helpfully, earning herself the evil eyes of the evil couple.

"Told?" repeated Kimiko curiously while a reddening Naoto aimed an indiscreet kick at Kanji's knee below the table, embarrassed at having been caught blabbing about the new girl. "Has Naoto-kun here been talking about me?"

"Things like 'cute, in a slightly dimwitted manner' came up." recounted Rise matter-of-factly.

"Rise!"

"Haha, really?" laughed the new girl, delighted at the uncommon description of herself.

"Hey, you're lucky. Apparently I'm 'melodramatic' on her book. Still waiting for your explanation you know." added Kanji rather depreciatively.

"Kanji!" admonished Naoto sharply, although it seemed to have little effect in the face of payback. "I'm sorry Kimiko."

"I don't mind." chirped the said girl happily, thinking that the blue-nette was telling her friends about herself so that she would be more welcome into their group. "You make me sound much less boring than I really am."

"You're not boring." corrected the auburn-haired former idol lightly, her hand moving the pat the brunette's head for no good reason. "You're just normal."

"Haha… Gee, thanks."

"No no. You don't know just how rare 'normal' is in this little ol' town we have here."

"Hah…"

The four friends shared a good laugh over the slightly lame joke, although the experience of it was slightly different for the three who had been around for a longer time.

"Ummm… do you mind if we exchanged numbers… I mean… Hyah!"

"Man, this phonebook's practically new!"

The cell phone that Kimiko had been feeling up inside her pocket was swiftly appropriated by a mischevious Rise, with numbers being punched into it at breakneck speed. The former idol did know how alone a new girl would feel, having undergone the same until the whole Midnight Channel thing happened.

A warm feeling blossomed in the meek girl's bosom. She can't help but feel incredibly thankful for the odd quirk of fate that led her here.

"_Thou hast established new bonds… that said… I'm gladder that you've finally found friends."_

"Huh?"

"What is it Kimiko?" asked Naoto in concern, after catching her jump slightly with a small start.

"Oh, it's nothing. It must have been my imagination."

* * *

The study session finally got on to a much belated start after the short 'getting to know you' session with the new girl in town. It never ceased to amaze the academically excellent Detective Prince how math could KO the tall and burly Kanji within a page's width of time, or how much overly dramatic Rise could be when it comes to the place of Classical Japanese in a globally connected world, even though her English was in need of a massive overhaul as well. Kimiko on the other hand was making unspectacular but steady progress with her Science, even though she seemed to be sneaking peeks at the moaning former idol every so often. Well, it was not everyday that one got to see one up close she supposed, let alone be allowed the privilege to visit her room.

However, the hours went by fairly quickly enough, given the amount of torment dished out to the two difficult students, although it also meant that the tutor herself became considerably fatigued as well. Enough so that she herself started to nod off, until her cell phone beeped with an email. Still groggy, she did not think that anything was amiss, until she noticed Kimiko's little giggle fit that could have made their Yukiko-sempai proud.

"W-wha… What the!"

She had just caught her reflection in Rise's oversized mirror, and she was currently spotting two very suspicious whisker-style mustaches…

"RISE! KANJI!"

* * *

After spending an exceedingly long period of time berating the two misfits, the time came for both Naoto and Kanji to go off. Naoto had to meet her grandfather at the Shirogane Manor for an apparently very serious meeting while Kanji had to help his mother with a shipment of textiles that was coming in. This left Rise and Kimiko alone in the room to continue with their revision, although the chances of that happening were low.

"Kimiko-chan, why are you looking at me like that…" asked Rise snidely from across the table, having caught the girl staring at her for a while now.

"Erm… that…" she pointed a hesitant finger back at the starlet.

"W-W-Wait… I don't swing that way… I think…"

"N-N-No! I mean them…! I mean that, that thing below your… I mean…"

The two girls reddened visibly before the brighter of the two finally understood the original message.

"You mean this?"

Rise pointed to the multiple band aids she had plastered on her fingertips. Seeing the sheepish nod from the brunette, the pigtailed girl heaved a hefty sigh of relief.

_Really… the girl's a walking communication disaster…_

In reply, Rise simply pointed across the room.

"That."

"Oh! I was wondering about that. Can you play?"

"Haha, I thought you'd never ask! I am pretty good, now that I've managed to get some practice in. Observe!"

After a few adjustments and a few test strums, the starlet began playing for real and let her fingers dance over the strings with relish. Even though Kimiko was not really into music, she could tell that the other girl had quite some talent with the guitar, seeing that she was totally bowled over by the short demonstration already.

"Wow, you're really good at this!" gushed the new fan of Kujikawa Rise empathically while trying to give as rapturous an applause she could. "I should have expected as much from an idol!"

Unexpectedly, the former idol's face fell a little before she tried to mask herself by scratching her head awkwardly.

"Actually, I never got to play when I was an idol. See, I actually auditioned to be a member of a band when I first started out, but the agency saw more value in me as an idol. Still, after doing the whole round trip with the idol thing, I decided that I will show a different side of me when I return to showbiz, by going back to my roots perhaps."

"That sounds great Rise-chan. I may not know much about Risette, but I really do like Kujikawa Rise!"

The pigtailed girl reddened for what seemed like the third time today.

"You're really straight forward aren't you?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Rise sighed before moving to keep her instrument back in its case.

"Well, it's not quite that simple. I'm still having problems singing and playing at the same time, though I'm trying to work that out in the studio. I still have to get a band together too. Then, there's the issue of music and lyrics to write…"

"You write music too! Can you show me?"

"Oh alright… don't laugh okay?"

Kimiko scrutinized the scores and lyrics for a while before looking straight into Rise's eyes, startling the pigtailed girl a little with how long her lashes were, as well as how round her eyes were when she was being incredibly earnest. In all seriousness, the brunette had only this to say.

"Rise-chan, you really need to work on your English."

* * *

It was to be nightfall before Kimiko left the tofu shop. Both Rise and her grandmother had invited her to stay for dinner, the former for her offer to help out with her lyrics and the latter for the delightful company, but she did already have the dinner prepared her aunt waiting for her at home. So, with kind smiles and a promise to visit again on another day, the brunette made her way back to the main road and back en route back to her own apartment, thinking of how nice it was to not feel so alone for a change. Being the naturally oblivious sort though, she did not seem to notice a shadowy figure that had been keeping tabs on the tofu shop all this while…

"… Yes, I understand… moving out…"

Then again, she might not be alone as she thought…

* * *

The heady scent of well-brewed coffee beans wafted forth from the porcelain coffee cup that was currently being set unto a coaster on the table.

"Thank you." acknowledged the young man politely before he took a sip out of it.

"I had a feeling you take your coffee black." said the petite turquoise-haired girl with an unusual knee-length ponytail in a cryptic fashion, earning a quizzical lift of grayed brows.

Before the young man could inquire how the young lady could have guessed his tastes, two men entered the room through the double doors. One of them looked to be the older of the two, barren of expressions with a stern disposition to meet. The other did not look too much older than himself, most probably a college student, but with a mature composure beyond his years about him and a head of silver white hair. The young man got to his feet immediately, having assumed that either one of them would be the person in charge of the dormitory.

"Sorry for the wait." began the silver-haired man, motioning for the youngest among them to sit back down down on the leather seats as well. "I am Sanada Akihiko, the associate director of the school you are going to. This is Inspector Kurosawa from the Special Investigation Unit, and this is Yamagishi Fuuka, the dorm mistress here."

The young man furrowed his brows together, trying to work out the connection between why the important people in his future school life were here together with a police officer of a unit he had never even heard of. The answer came soon enough though in the form of a fierce gaze.

"Seta-kun… have you ever heard of the term… Persona?"

* * *

A/N:

More exposition, but the story is slowly shaping up, don't you think? Please read and review.

* * *

Omake 2: What's in a name

In a room hidden away from both reality and existence stood a lone round table, illuminated by an incandescent column of light that hung over from an unseen ceiling. The glare of the light carried naught but a cold chill, its purpose not to dispel but to sustain the strength of the ominous darkness that extended with no end in sight. Exactly twenty-two ornate seats in all surrounded the table, although not all the seats were meant to be filled at any one time. The lead seat for one, was currently absent from this current meeting, hence the reason for the meeting. Although… it seemed that a consensus from the shadowed figures would not be forthcoming without their leader's deliberation…

"Like I said, why do we need a new name after all this time?" said a tall silhouette with an extended top, while a pair of long ears beside him could be observed nodding in agreement.

"Duh! What type of a name is 'The Council of Shadows'?" countered a shorter silhouette with the likeness of a short-haired young girl.

"The one we have been using since time began?" replied another silhouette who had a pair of feet lounging on the table itself.

"It's boring, that's what it is! I want a change!" repeated the shorter silhouette in an animated fashion.

"What do your propose?" asked a tall lanky silhouette with a particularly kind voice.

"Erm… well… I haven't exactly thought that far ahead…"

A short silence befell the strange meeting.

"How about Organisation XIII?"

"No! There are too many reasons why we can't use that!"

"Geez, can't you count?"

"How about Akatsuki? That sounds strong."

"No! That's worse than Organisation XIII."

"Hello, remember what we are? That's just so wrong."

"Grrr… let's go with Team Rocket then."

"Now we're just being silly!"

"What, you have something against rockets now?"

As the bickering continued over the rather inane topic, one of the silhouettes that had remained silent throughout the tirade got up and made to leave the meeting.

"What's wrong Nineteen?" asked one of the silhouettes closest to the departing one

"Nothing. I'm just going to check up on Eighteen. I've been having a bad feeling about him. With luck, I might be able to find Zero as well." replied Nineteen casually.

"Ah… having Zero back would be nice… we might be get something decided at last…"

"Oh? But don't you think having a proper name is important?" commented Nineteen offhandedly with a lazy wave as he faded into the darkness.

"Hmm… if you say so… Akinari-san."


	4. Eyes on Me

Persona: After Story by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own The Shin Megami Tensei series since obviously Atlas does, along with all other references made over the course of the story. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

* * *

Chapter 4: Eyes on me

"Please… no more…" groaned a messy head of otherwise gorgeous russet locks splayed out on the desk. Obviously, a lot of head-scratching went into this one.

"Hang in there Rise-chan." came the helpful coaxing, along with a few gentle pats by a pale, slender hand. "There's just one day of mid-terms left."

"Argh… Kimiko-chan… make it stop… like now…"

The auburn-haired brunette giggled discretely at the whiny tone of the voice, but settled for a little more friendly patting instead of even trying to comfort her further. With the remaining of the day scheduled for self-study and little else to do, Kimiko sighed lightly as she raised her notes once more for good measure.

"Hmm hm hmm hm hmm hmmm hmmm… hmm hm hmmm hmm hm hmmm hmm hm…"

The head of rusty-red locks looked up slowly, enticed by the unexpected allure of the soothing humming. Even the usual chatter in the classroom began to die down as well when they managed to detect its innocent charm. The humming continued for a while before the oblivious brunette decided to make a rather random check of her friend, a little concerned that the other redhead might have fallen asleep with the lack of any chatter. The hard, wide-eyed stare that she received from her friend surprised her though, so much so that she recoiled instinctively and hence promptly fell off her chair in a comical manner, replete with a cute cry to boot.

"Owwie…" went the poor girl belatedly as she rubbed her sore rear end gingerly. It was to be a few moments before she noticed a friendly seeming hand in front of her. Not thinking much of it as usual, Kimiko reached for the helpful hand.

"Ah, than- "

Before she could thank the owner of the hand properly, she was promptly lifted back to her feet and back against Rise's fierce gaze. In one deft move, Kimiko found her hand firmly clasped and her head cradled snugly under Rise's deceptively strong arm. The starlet drew so close to the meeker girl's face that her slightly heavier breath was grazing the other girl's lips.

"I want you." said a husky voice brazenly.

The dazed transfer student promptly turned pink and went poof, with steam whooshing out of her ears. Metaphorically, of course.

"EHHHHHHH?"

Without much further ado, Kimiko's startled cries found itself trailing down the hallway and all the way out of the gates, dragged by a superhuman Rise by the nook of her neck. The shocked silence in Class 2-2 endured for a while, until Kanji actually read out the question in everyone's mind over the weirdest kidnapping they had ever seen.

"What the hell?"

Amidst the confused looks, a bemused smile revealed itself slightly before the all-knowing Naoto finished her mail to her sempais.

"_Rise will not be joining us today__ Yukiko-sempai."_

* * *

The doors of the studio were practically blown wide open as two brunettes ran in, heaving erratically while the wooden panels swiveled back and forth on their hinges. After having finally reached their destination, one of them promptly doubled up while the other collapsed to her knees, scratching at her bosom painfully, as though trying to claw air back into her painful lungs with desperate coughs.

"Kimiko-chan, are you okay?" asked the redhead responsible for all this as she hurried to her side, rubbing the other girl's back.

"I… I'm okay… I think…" said Kimiko most unconvincingly. "It… it's just that… it's the first time I ever ran… that's all…"

"Eh? Is that normal? You some rich girl or something?"

"Heheh…" went Kimiko in lieu of a reply, her breathing gradually smoothing out. Her face was still pale though. She looked around and found herself even more puzzled by her surroundings. Before she could muster enough breath to ask anything, two similar voices called out from the entrance.

"Rise-chi!"

"Ah, Chiho-chan and Chise-chan! Good timing!"

A pair of girls with identically brilliant amber eyes and long hip-length strawberry blonde hair appeared at the considerably calmer entrance, the different designs on their sailor-fuku uniforms indicating that they belonged to another school. The twins looked curiously at the rumpled and sweaty duo, in particular the new girl.

"Who's she?" asked the two blonde girls in perfect synchrony once more.

Before the new girl could reply, Rise answered for her.

"She's the new vocalist."

"Eh? New vocalist?"

The sound of a light thud followed soon after.

* * *

A few moments, a warm towel and a steaming mug of hot chocolate after, the mildly traumatized girl sat on the leather couch with her mouth hanging agape at the second coming of Rise's revelation.

"I'm the new vocalist?" repeated Kimiko dumbly.

"Yep."

"…"

The girl's crimson pupils tried to roll to the back of her eyes again although the blonde twins on either side of her caught her in mid-swoon.

"Kimi-chi!"

The two identical girls got out the medicated oil and smelling salts once more and began to resuscitate the semi-conscious, or perhaps half-fainted brunette.

"Mou… and they say I'm the drama queen?"

The first thing Kimiko said after recovering enough of her bearings was to protest Rise's big announcement.

"But Rise-chan! I can't be a vocalist!"

"Why not? You have a good voice!"

"I don't have a good voice! I've never even really sang before!"

"Well, your humming earlier was good."

"I was humming!"

The twins watched the lively discussion with amusement written all over their faces. It reminded them somehow of an odd fufu kenka, except perhaps it was between a wife and wife over here.

"It's like they're married or something!" whispered the twins to themselves.

"Kimiko-chan, look… I can't sing and play at the same time. I've tried everything, but its like I always get sucked into the guitar. Not that I mind, but we do desperately need a main vocalist!" said Rise as she tried reason this time, hoping it would help.

"But – I – can't – sing!" said Kimiko as she tried slowing down this time, as though that would help.

"Hey, I have an idea!"

The redheads looked at the blondes, or one of them, Chise to be exact.

"Why don't we do a test drive? You know, try her out?"

"But I don't know any songs! I can't just test… be tested all of a sudden!"

"Oh, oh! Do the Smurf song then! That's easy enough right?" suggested Chiho helpfully as she bounced in her place, soon joined by her sister in agreement.

"What's the Smurf song?"

"Oh geez…" went Rise as the twins got off the figurative track and onto their usual tangents again.

"La la lalalala la lala la la, la la la lalala, la la la la la…"

Rise groaned. Her band-mates were cute and talented, but totally random at times.

"There you go! Do it as fancily as you can!"

"Fancily…"

At the expectant gazes of the two bouncy blondes and the hopeful glance from the former idol, Kimiko relented and tried her hand at it. She heaved a huge sigh for good measure before she la-la-la'ed.

"La la lalalala la lala la la, la la la lalala, la la la la la…"

Kimiko blushed up to her ears this time, feeling absolute self-conscious about her little attempt. However, the "oohing" she received from the twins made her blush even more.

"Oh! Kimi-chi is good! Rise-chi was spot-on!"

"See, I told you so!"

"Eh!"

Kimiko gulped at the following outpouring of gush, squeals and uncharacteristically technical jargon.

"Her voice sounds totally different from typical Japanese singers! It reminds me of a holy bell in terms of the timbre and clarity."

"Ya! We're half-French ourselves, but her wide range and high tones totally got us beat."

"I know! She has so much potential! She's even an expert in English! She helped out with the lyrics the other day!"

"Wow!"

It was then that Rise caught sight of her fellow red-head inching suspiciously to the edge of the leather seats from the corner of her eye

"Ah, she's trying to run away!"

"What, no way!"

The three girls from the former three member girl band pounced on the poor new girl and glomped her there and then, securing their new band member in between them.

* * *

"Rise-chan, I still don't think it's a good idea…"

The new red-head was still casting her doe-like eyes at the former idol, even though they had already gone through this for the umpteenth time, and were finally in place to begin their first rehearsal as a new girl band. Chise and Chiho were already in place with their drums and bass, with Rise at the guitar.

"Let's just try it out first. You've already memorized the song right? "

"Yaa… but…"

"Okay girls, a one, and a two!"

The three girls roused their instruments from their quietude and began to interlay their sounds together to form a gorgeous melody. Even Kimiko could tell the three of them were actually good if not outstanding, not that it would mean much from an amateur. Could an amateur like her actually fit in with them?

Kimiko glanced back at Rise once more, thereby receiving another reassuring wink from the idol-turned-guitarist. She sucked in another breath before the seconds towards her impending doom counted down one after another.

"Travel to… the moon…"

* * *

"Oh, they're here."

Yukiko lifted her eyes from her notes just as her two underclassman reached the roof of Junes, their secret hideout from their shenanigans last year. Feeling a smile rise unbidden, she gave into it and flashed a smile at the two.

"Hi there Naoto-kun, Kanji-kun. I got the message about Rise-chan."

"Ya, weird that." grunted the burly white-haired sophomore as he commandeered two nearby chairs for himself and his feet. That was when he noticed his other sempais in various states of heavy-duty studying. "What's up with those two?"

"Ah…" Yukiko giggled slightly while turning to her two fellow seniors. Chie had on her Teddy glasses and was reciting some sort of mantra made up of formulas while Yosuke had a bandana with the kanji for certain victory written on it while scribbling out a set of notes. "Exam fever. Senior-year version."

"Ah… that would explain the unusual vigor with which they are studying. You seem much calmer Yukiko-sempai. I take it that you've already decided on what to do then." said Naoto in her usual version.

"Yes… I was considering it for a while, but I will probably take the recommendations for a course related to the management of the ryokan, ideally somewhere in Tokyo or Port Island I guess." mused the senior idly, recounting the processes leading to the decision. "My mom and our staff assured me that they could hold out until I return, so there was really nothing holding me back. Although… I'm not sure how I would fare against the other applicants out there."

"Erm… I'm sure you'll do fine Yukiko-sempai…" assured Naoto briefly, though her mind was actually thinking. _"Especially since you ARE first in the prefecture…"_

"I hope so…"

Naoto took a look at her precious friends and sighed, her heart feeling as though it was mired in unease again. The fact that her friends were already third years meant that some of them would be leaving again… although she couldn't be certain where Chie-sempai and Yosuke-sempai would be heading… Her hand wandered over to her equally precious watch.

_The time for parting will come again…_

"Oh, that reminds me. I wonder if Souji-kun has any plans for college."

"Eh?" gasped Detective Princess in surprise, her girlish exclamation rare enough for the muggers and Kanji to look up and away from their books and steak accordingly.

"I mean, it's just a thought…"

* * *

The red-head heaved a heavy sigh as she sank down onto the couch. The girls were taking a break after their sixth try at the song, but to Kimiko, it felt like she had been at it for hours now. She snuck a glance at her classmate, but the furrowed brows and serious looks on her face really frightened her. Even though she did declare fervently that she was not good at it multiple times, she still felt apprehensive and overwhelmingly bad at disappointing her first, somewhat close girl friend. She was so caught up in her personal blues that she jumped when a cold drink can was pressed against her cheek.

"Ah, gomen gomen." apologized Chise with a smile. The blonde waved the can of green tea lightly in front of her. "You look like you could do with some cooling off."

"Thank you…"

Kimiko stared at the can of green tea for a while before taking a long swig of it. She took the chance to heave a long sigh after that before the rest area lapsed back into silence, other than the occasional flipping of scores and pages.

"I sucked, didn't I." It was more of a statement than a question.

The half of the blonde twins sitting opposite her gave her a surprised look.

"Kimi-chi?"

"I'm no expert, but I know at least when a song sounds good or not. You guys were amazing, but I was… dragging you girls under…"

Any further self-loathing was quickly waylaid by a gentle karate chop on her auburn head.

"Kimi-chi, how long do you think we have had to practice with our instruments? It is your first time singing for real, no?"

"Yes… but…"

At the furtive glance at the mad bassist and guitarist at work, Chise realized what spooked her and sighed.

"Please don't mind them. For some reason, the string-girls get really fired up like this every once in a while. Besides, they're just discussing whether to adjust our music to your pace or to try out another song. Though what I think they would do is to write a new song outright… hence the getting carried away bit Kimi-chi."

"Eh? But that's…"

Chise drew closer to Kimiko and sat beside her in order to show her the music scores that she had been reading earlier. The blonde had been sorting them into two distinct piles.

"Look, we would really like for you to join us. The fact that you were not able to soak in the song thoroughly is also partly our fault. You see, most of the songs we wrote were originally written with a different type of voice in mind, and that they were punk-rock in nature. The one we tried earlier was one of our alternatives, a rock-ballad sort of thing that would be closer to your natural voice. Rise was saying perhaps we were too hasty, and that we should write some new songs just for you. At the very least, we should sort the songs we have here to take out the less suitable ones."

"Eh… but all your hard work before this…"

"Don't worry about that. That's just how it is. We usually rehearse the same song over and over again anyway, so this is nothing new to us. Besides, you're not bad at all. You just need some coaching on your timing and turns. Like when to break off from a long note and turn to a new one."

"Thanks Chise-chan. You're nice."

The two girls shared a brief hug and cuddle before Kimiko laid back to stretch herself slightly, getting herself ready for the next round of practices. Looking at the small amount of skin exposed by blouse that was riding up a little, Chise had a quick brainstorm and stroked her exposed sides lightly with her finger, causing the other girl to tremble reflexively and cry out

"Chise-chan!"

Although she would usually ooh and aww at the red-head's deliciously vivid blush, quake and shiver, her little eureka moment illuminated a would-be solution to their singing problem. Tapping on the glass that separated the studio from the rest area, she mouthed out the words.

"Girls, I have an idea."

Kimiko jumped at the newly revealed evil glint in the otherwise angelic figure's eyes. She swallowed hard and wondered briefly if she should just give in to her new fate.

* * *

It was to be dark before the girls finally left the studio, having finally gotten several good practices down. The twins left for their home on the opposite side of town while the two classmates set off for theirs together. It was a very typical day for one of the brunettes, but an absurdly random day for the other. Though the time now was closer to midnight.

"Erm… I'm sorry Kimiko-chan…"

"Umm…"

"Hahaha… we have an exam tomorrow, don't we?"

"Umm…"

The off-handed replies by the shorter brunette was more than a little surprising. Perhaps she was really upset that she had forced her too far earlier. Or perhaps spending so much time with her wasn't to her liking. Ah, she had an exam tomorrow. Of course. That was probably why… wait, if she had an exam, that means that she had one too.

"Are you angry, Kimiko-chan?"

"Umm…"

Rise was about to panic when she noticed an odd sound coming from her friend. A rhythmic…

"Kimiko, are you asleep?"

"Umm…"

_This girl!_

Rise shook her friend several times before the girl finally woke up enough to address her properly.

"Ah, Rise-chan… Ohayo…" said the girl with a yawn.

"You're such a light-weight Kimiko-chan. How can you sleep and walk at the same time?"

"Talent…? I don't know… I've never stayed up this late before…" the girl yawned again. "Aunt Mari is going to be crossed… zzz…"

"Matagu… this girl…"

It seemed that even though the girl was mostly knocked out, Rise was still able to lead her onward by keeping her centered on the path. It was the first time she had seen someone actually sleep walk, come to think of it, although it reminded her a little of the time when one of her handlers had a little too much to drink.

However, as luck would have it, things took a little turn for the worse when the whole stretch of streetlights began to flicker amidst an eerily cold draft. Since Kimiko was more or less out of it, Rise was about to cuss a little when the flickering stopped. However, the light seemed a little dimmer and colder than usual…

"Hmm… a power outage? Well, I'm glad that's over…"

Her words faltered upon realizing that she might have been a bit hasty in saying that. For under the pallid light of the empty streets, the brunette could make out several dark patches that stained the empty sidewalks. It was unlikely, improbable and a long shot… but it wasn't as though it was definitely impossible.

"Crap."

* * *

A/N:

Some notes: Fufu kenka means something like a married couple's quarrel.

Reviews are very welcome.

* * *

Omake 3: Talent and Timing

The gentle whirr of the hidden elevator came to a halt with the chime of a soft bell before the doors opened, allowing a certain silver-haired young man in a black suit to step out and onto the concealed space several floors below ground level. The man took several more steps forward until he came to rest before a large panel of glass that overlooked a cavernous space beyond, and beside the only other on this floor.

"How's the new guy?"

"He's good. He's getting the hang of it very quickly, although he still has a way to go."

"Hmm… this after activating it so easily on his first try… he reminds me of him."

"Doesn't he?"

The two observed the scene beyond the glass for a little while longer.

"He's using live ammo again, isn't he?"

"I think so…"

"It's a good thing the new guy is actually good then…"

"Well, I don't think he's actually serious about shooting him either… I think…"

"…"

The pair watched for a little while longer before they talked again.

"Behave…"

"Why?"

A pale hand was lightly gripping the fingers of the hand that was holding her hip playfully just seconds earlier.

"Just because."

The man's cell chose that moment to ring, bringing him news that was unwelcome but not really unexpected.

"… I understand… don't overdo it."

The man proceeded to activate the intercom beside the glass panel.

"Training's over."

The two trainees in the cavern paused in mid-action, their katana and handgun still pretty much pointing in the other's direction.

"We're moving out."

The man cast an apologetic glance at his viewing partner before he made for the elevator once more. The remaining figure sighed before kicking her heels lightly against the air, her hands playing with the end of her long turquoise braids a little wistfully.

"Because your timing always suck… baka…"


	5. Live

Persona: After Story by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own The Shin Megami Tensei series since obviously Atlas does, along with all other references made over the course of the story. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

* * *

Chapter 5: Live

Disbelieving eyes blinked once, twice, and thrice. To no avail.

_This…_

Distressed eyes looked on at that which should not be, at the black stains without a cause, at the shadows without a source, at the pitch that ebbed and flowed. Wavering, pulsating, convulsing, salivating… At the darkness that seemed alive. Was. Is.

…_can't be good…_

The redhead tightened her grip on her dear friend, her features furrowed. Incomprehension, fear, panic… the girl would have none of that. It would not do for her to act like a shirking violet now. After all, it was not as though she was not used to danger. She had experience. However, most of all, she had someone to take care of.

"Kimiko-chan, run!"

Dragging the semi-conscious girl, Rise turned and broke into a frantic dash down the path they took earlier. Incredibly enough, the other redhead was able to match Rise's full strides without even opening her eyes. In fact, she seemed even faster than when they ran to the studio. That was the limit of their luck though, as the half dozen seemingly ownerless shadows flitted across the asphalt in chase, before the amorphous darkness swelled and transmogrified into feral, wolf-like shades.

"Shit…" cursed Rise under her breath at the sound of snarling and claws running upon the pavement. That and they were getting nearer. The hair on the nape of her neck frizzled from such proximity just a half second before she dragged her friend down to the ground, avoiding rather narrowly several wicked talons.

The pack of demonic wolves circled the bedraggled girls, snarling, snapping and looking all too ready to pounce. Yet they stayed their claws, content to just contain the two redheads within them.

Rise eyed the shadows warily, keeping her body conspicuously in between them and her motionless friend in the meanwhile. Just as questions piled up in her mind, the sound of slow deliberate footsteps approached from beyond the dim light. As they neared however, her eyes widened in recognition of a familiar figure, a sinister and personal foe.

"Long time no see, me." drawled a chillingly similar voice as the silhouette drew into the path of the streetlights.

Rise's jaw tightened, but remained impressively impassive.

"Look at you, acting all hero-ey. What's the matter, got tired of acting the damsel, ditz?"

The pack parted as the shadowed figure pulled up in front the two girls, leaning in to taunt the redheads with a lascivious smirk.

"Oh, a cute one there isn't she? You've got good taste, even if you are just using her in the end to get back to showbiz. You can't help it, can you? She's the real deal, not a wannabe like you. Like us. Lure them in, break them, and then reel in every penny she is worth. I can just imagine her gravure now, and then the real good stuff begins…"

A loud slap reverberated off the walls of the deserted streets before dissolving into the stunned silence.

"Man… I really talk too much."

Shadow Rise jerked her head back to glare at the redhead that just clipped her, the side of her cheek sporting an angry mark.

"If you're me, you'd know. No matter what, I'm the head bitch in charge of me now."

A shrill scream erupted from the scorned Shadow while the shade wolves howled in bloodcurdling synchrony. In that mad moment, a grey capsule the size of a small rock fell from the sky with a rough command.

"Cover your eyes!"

* * *

A blinding flash of light burst forth with a thunderous boom as the stun grenade exploded with a shockwave that repelled the fell creatures, the concentrated onslaught of light unbearable as they dislodged the integrity of the darkness.

In the midst of the chaos, a figure in a black uniform dashed into the scene, taking down two of the wolf beings in one passing with a long weapon, a pole-arm type weapon consisting of three interlaid blades that resembled both a halberd and spear. Taking advantage of what surprise he had garnered, he made a series of revolving swings and slashed down the remaining shade wolves with no mercy.

The sole remaining humanoid Shadow hissed at intruder before its visage blurred and shifted from Rise to a tall, lanky figure with stylish windswept earthen hair. Before it could even utter a word though, it found itself impaled up to the hilt by the heavy tri-bladed spear.

"Not gonna work."

The young man forcefully pulled out the heavy blade of the spear before connecting once more with the metal shaft. The spear user made use of the momentum to twist his body and spun his weapon around for a much heavier slash that sent his mirror image flying.

"You girls alright?" asked the young man belatedly.

"Y-Yes…" replied Rise off-handedly, a little caught off guard by the abrupt nature of the rescue and the fact that his taller savior was wearing a Yasogami Middle School uniform. "My friend seems to be out though."

"That's bad…" said the young man as he watched his mirror image pick itself off the asphalt like a puppet on strings while numerous black orbs seemed to appear into being around it. "Well, it's a good thing that it did not manage to consume you. The Revenant feeds on negativity."

"Yeah… I had a feeling it did."

The spear user flashed a brief wry smile. This batch of users was proving to be quite the find, just like he had heard. Nevertheless, nostalgia could wait in the face of more pressing issues, namely the regrouping Shadows and the fact that their numbers were growing. Well, there was always his trump card, but… oh to hell with it. He reached for a hidden holster behind his middle school jacket with his free hand, drawing out a silver gun.

"I probably shouldn't do this in front of you, but…" The male student drew the silver gun to his temple. "I'm sure things will work out somehow."

"What are you…"

A thunderous clash rang out as the trigger was pulled, together with a single utterance.

"Persona!"

* * *

A gust of ethereal blue particles spewed forth from the head of the spear user before they spiraled upwards and congealed into the glowing form of a stern warrior, clad from head to toe in heavy silver and azure armour. A heavy tri-bladed spear similar to the young man's resided in the Persona's hands, while a face guard revealed naught but its three crystalline eyes.

"Youzen!"

The Persona descended at the unspoken command and settled back into the young man, infusing him with the same ethereal blue and white glow. An insignia resembling the Persona's third eye appeared on the young man's forehead, signaling the success of the fusion.

Raising his heavy spear to the fore, the tall middle-schooler charged at the humanoid Shadow just as numerous shade wolves emerged from the black orbs that hovered around their leader and attacked in retaliation. The earlier process seemed to have augmented the spear user's speed and power as he plowed through the waves of shades with little difficulty. More notable was his enhanced ability to predict and evade attacks, even as the shade wolves swarmed around him, enveloping the spear user in a turbulent black maelstrom that was as violent as it was persistent.

With the spear user held up, the Revenant Shadow took the opportunity to disappear into a mass of black particles and reappear in front of the two girls once more, now a contorted mass of darkness in a misshapen humanoid state.

"Now, where were we…" breathed the dark figure menacingly.

Rise stood defiantly before the Shadow, staring it down with protective audacity. The Revenant Shadow seemed unperturbed by it; in fact, it seemed mildly amused at the display.

"It seems like I can't get any charge out of you. However…"

The fluid darkness bubbled and fluctuated rigorously as it reformed and took up the guise of the redhead that she was guarding, save for the maniacal light in its miscoloured eyes. No sooner had it assumed the form of the normally meek girl than a violent black glow emanate from its body.

"Muahahaha, my my my! Such unexpected power! What delicious darkness! I could really get off on her! Yesss!"

The dramatic surge in the Shadow's power manifested itself in a sudden blast of wind pressure that literally blew Rise away, her lithe frame lifted against her will like a rag doll and slammed against the wall at the edge of the sidewalk with a painful cry. Crimson trails stained the wall as she slumped down to the pavement.

"K-Kimiko…" uttered Rise weakly as dark tendrils spread out from the Shadow and lifted her friend up.

Noticing the ominous turn of events and the Shadow's evident target, the spear user put forth all his strength and cut a swath past the feral shadows with a horizontal sweep. Making use of the space created, he plunged his heavy spear into the asphalt and used it to vault himself over the remainder of the persistent pack. The spear user hit the ground running, swinging his weapon into position for a charging thrust attack.

"Armament mode."

The glow that infused his full body earlier now congregated on his arm and weapon, creating a silver and azure gauntlet and spear similar to that of his Persona's atop his original ones. A thin fabric of the same design extended behind the gauntlet, flowing in the wind. With a mighty cry, he leapt up and unleashed his strongest attack on the Revenant Shadow, thrusting his spear at its core with everything he had, physical and spiritual-wise.

However, the Revenant had other things on its mind as it held off the powerful attack with one hand, concentric waves of black energy dissipating the strength of the downward striking attack.

"It's rude to interrupt a lady when it's mealtime."

An intense stream of black energy expelled out from within the concentric waves, catching the spear user square in the chest, knocking him back and through a brick wall. Although he was hurting, he was able to ignore the broken ribs and left arm with sheer grit, getting back to his feet despite the broken body. Things might have been worse if not for the silver blue cloth that coiled behind his back and cushioned the impact.

Picking up his spear, he went after the Shadow once more. Fortunately and unfortunately, the Revenant Shadow was busy extending its tendrils towards its original. The dark tendrils buried themselves into girl, causing her to scream out reflexively while as an ethereal image of herself was slowly pulled out from her body. At that moment, the blades of the tri-spear slashed down between the two, severing half of the tendrils, impeding the Shadow's process.

Screeching in anger and pain, the Shadow turned its tendrils on the spear user, restraining the boy by his arms before it lifted the boy up into the air, slamming him down against the asphalt, eliciting a fine spray of blood from the boy's mouth. Although barely conscious after that, he tried to reach for his silver gun, making it as far as getting it out of its holster before the last of his strength gave out. Blacking out, he lay motionless on the ground, his silver gun lying just beside him while the communicator under his lapel called out to no avail amidst the static.

"…da… do you read… Ama-"

Satisfied that the threat to its meal had been dealt with, the Revenant returned its attention to a semi-conscious Kimiko, clutching her by the throat with a malignant smile and a look that could only be described as hungry.

* * *

Drifting between consciousness and the lack thereof, Kimiko found herself snapped back to painful awareness as a biting pain radiated from the very essence of her core. She understood at a very instinctual level that she was in danger, that someone or something was, quite literally, plucking her very soul from her body.

_Is this it?_

The pain intensified further, her senses starting to go white with every passing second.

_I guess…__ it can't be helped… it was long overdue…_

Pain. Whiteness. Blinding light. More pain.

_I just thought… I was__ finally going to have more time… I finally found…_

From the corner of her blurry vision, she could pick her out despite the dim light, her very first.

… _a friend…_

Her vision blurred further, distorted by something wet, warm. It was pathetic, futile, inevitable.

_**What now, would you like to live or die**__**?**_

An unfamiliar voice. Was someone there? She could not tell anymore. Yet… if she was allowed to…

A gasp, a sharp intake of breath, an answer.

… _**I understand… **_

A slender hand gripped another with uncanny strength.

_**Leave it to me…**_

And the clock struck twelve.

* * *

A/N:

The next chapter would be an exposition for the story, so do look forward to it.

Reviews are very welcome.

* * *

Omake 4: After

The muted flash of sirens and the hurried grind of boots on raw asphalt droned on in the once deserted streets like ambient noise. The scene was littered with debris and the remnants of the fierce battle, with tell-tale marks etched deeply on the wall and the pavements. Marks that were currently undergoing a rapid rate of eradication as a team of engineers began their cover-up of the incident.

However, on a faintly-lit screen nearby, the fierce battle itself was replayed almost in its whole entirety, albeit from only one out of the many perspectives. From surveillance to intervention, a pair of wizened grey irises was concentrating intently on its proceedings. He had a fairly good guess of what went down thanks to it, up to the point of their comrade's eventual take down. The impact from that hit cracked the lens of his communicator, distorting the recording of events thereafter as patches of static clouded the images. That was what he could not quite make out.

The doors on either side of the sleek vehicle opened briefly before they closed once more, two others settling back into their seats after completing their tasks outside.

"The clean-up crew has fixed what they can and cordoned off areas with extensive damage."

"The spin crew is done as well, Sanada-san. The official cover up is a traffic incident and resultant road repairs."

"I see… good job you two. I guess I will go pay my respects to the local police later as well…"

The silver-haired leader of the three suddenly shot straight up in his seat, his interest piqued by nothing more than a few seconds of uncertain footage from a damaged camera. Yet, to the few that he knew, it might mean the World. He dialed one of them immediately to request for her expertise on the matter.

"Fuuka… you're not going to believe this…"


	6. Supernatural Extraplanar Execution Squad

Persona: After Story by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own The Shin Megami Tensei series since obviously Atlas does, along with all other references made over the course of the story. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

* * *

Chapter 6: Supernatural Extraplanar Execution Squad

The consistent beep of the monitors resounded quite poignantly amidst the heady scent of anti-septic in the private ward. Aside from a steady rise and fall within the room, little stirred in the unlit room, although that changed quite abruptly after a soft click sounded from the door, especially when the consistent beep became a constant tone as the monitors flat-lined.

"What did I say about overdoing it?"

The lanky young man on the bed froze in mid-action with guilt written all over his face, a mess of newly detached wires still in his hand.

"Erm… oops?"

At the familiar look he received from the tall silver-haired visitor, he sighed resignedly as he leaned back onto the headboard of his reluctant crib.

"Okay, okay. I give."

The corner of his lips lifted briefly before the visitor strode over to the side of the bed, settling into a nearby chair after a soft scrape of metal.

"How are your injuries?"

"This?" the younger patient pointed at the bandages that seemed to cover most of his torso, tugging at it with disdain. "They're just exaggerating."

"Six broken ribs and a perforated left lung from what I hear."

"Which should completely heal in another few hours or so…"

"So rest for another few hours and let your Persona do his job."

The patient groaned his displeasure at having to stay in the hospital, although he did ease back onto his pillow. Having a Persona with powerful passive regeneration and accelerated healing abilities sure was helpful after a fight, although he wished it had a little more firepower earlier as well. He ran a hand through his messy earth-coloured hair before he sighed.

"I messed up. It got the two girls…"

"No it didn't." corrected the visitor. "They're here too."

"Really? Man, I guess you guys arrived in time then."

"It's not us… although I have a theory…"

The visitor shared his thoughts with the patient.

"No way! Akihiko-san! You serious! You gotta tell- Oww! My ribs..."

"Oi, settle down before I KO you."

* * *

In a ward on another level of Inaba Municipal Hospital, a certain redhead groaned reflexively before hazel orbs opened and blinked several times at the blurry image of the plastered ceiling.

"Kimiko!" cried the injured girl as she shot up with a start, although she cringed straight after as arcs of sharp pain reverberated inside her bandaged head, protesting vehemently against the sudden action. "Ouch…"

"Whoa… Easy… She's fine…"

The masculine voice from just beside the hospital bed surprised the injured girl briefly before recognition set in, followed by a second bout of grateful surprise.

"Sempai!"

Her cool grey-haired senior smiled at the nostalgic moniker as Rise grabbed his arm excitedly in her usual manner, bouncing up and down on the hospital bed.

"Is that your new school uniform? It looks familiar… wait, isn't that Gekkoukan High School's uniform? The one from our trip to Tatsumi Port Island?"

"Yeah. Small world, huh?"

The redhead beamed before uncertainty passed through her features.

"Wait… why are you here? Last I remembered, we were under attack… Kimiko! Where's Kimiko?"

"She's fine. We have someone watching over her."

Rise heaved a hefty sigh of relief before she stared hard at her sempai again, picking out something amiss in his words.

"We?"

* * *

A soft knock sounded from the door to the ward before it opened on its own.

"Good evening. Sorry for the intrusion." said the silver-haired visitor in a scarlet-accented black suit as he entered the ward.

"Sanada-san! How is Amada-kun?"

"He'll live. He'll be out and about in a few hours."

The older man pulled up right beside the hospital bed before he bowed formally in greeting.

"My name is Sanada Akihiko. I am the associate director of Gekkoukan High School where Seta-kun is enrolled in. Pleased to make your acquaintance Kujikawa-san."

"Hah…" went a confused Rise, looking at her former upper-classman for some sort of confirmation or support. "So why is Sempai's school's associate director here?"

Akihiko flashed a wry grin.

"Tell me, have you ever heard of the term… Persona?"

The startled, wide-eyed expression on the former starlet's face more than answered the question, causing the older man to snigger a little before turning to his younger charge.

"See, that was a proper reaction."

"Well, excuse me…"

Turning back to the redhead, the older man continued.

"Don't be so surprised. You and your friends are by no means the first to receive the power of Personas, although it is still rare. Due to various… reasons, Gekkoukan High School is cooperating with a certain governmental organization to recruit, house and train Persona-users. We call ourselves the Supernatural Extraplanar Execution Squad, or S.E.E.S. for short."

Rise had a skeptical look on her face.

"Train Persona-users for… what purpose exactly?"

"Hmm… to put it in simple terms… we're part of a team that deals with things that the normal police would not be able to handle, with a particular interest in Persona-related phenomena such as the Midnight Channel that you are intimately familiar with. We call these phenomena Dark Realms, as they usually result in the creation of an extra-planar dimension where an immense amount of the world's Negative Energy accumulates… each one also comes with its own unique set of laws and complications."

Rise frowned at the difficult concepts at work here, although she did manage to pick out some bones that she wanted to pick with them.

"In that case, why didn't you guys help us out last year? Where the hell were you guys?"

Akihiko remained as cool as always for his reply.

"The thing about Dark Realms is that in order to neutralize the Negative Energy, an equivalent amount of Positive Energy has to be built up as well. In other words, in order to deal with the Shadows in the Dark Realm, we need to build up Persona-users that are dealing with the problem. Hence, we were monitoring the situation from the side while your group of Persona-users dealt with the Midnight Channel, since your experience would undoubtedly make you stronger in the long run, ensuring that the proper amount of Positive energy was garnered. Of course, we would intervene if it was necessary, but that we could not let you know that beforehand."

"Well…" started Rise a little reluctantly. "Some help would have been nice…"

"We did send you two Persona-users, no?" remarked the silver-haired man dryly.

"Huh? Two?"

"Shirogane Naoto-san, and Seta-kun over there."

"EH?"

At the shell-shocked expression on Rise's face, Souji decided to make a quick clarification.

"Just so you know, I had no idea about this. Neither did Naoto I would imagine. The arrangements were made directly with my parents and Naoto's grandfather… I guess they were associated to our organization somehow… Not to mention the fact that the organisation had links to the police, so employing Naoto's service in their name would be fairly easy…"

"We do have an extensive intelligence network as well, so with that information, the organization tries to distribute those with potential around, to ensure that the regular residents on the site where the Dark Realm manifests would have a better chance of surviving the phenomenon." added Akihiko helpfully.

Rise took some time to think about it but still, something didn't quite make sense.

"Hmmm… but we had already defeated Izanami and fixed the Midnight Channel for Teddy… so why did we get attacked by Shadows last night?"

"The thing with Dark Realms is, they act like a place where Negative Energy is collected. However, defeating the being responsible for collecting the energy does not mean that the energy collected goes away. The basic law of physics states that energy cannot be created or destroyed. This means that even after you have dealt with the Dark Realm, the massive amount of Negative Energy already collected would still linger around the site for years since it takes time for the energy accumulated to diffuse naturally into the surroundings once more. In the meanwhile, this massive store of energy attracts various… beings and creatures that feed on the Negative Energy and, depending on the nature of these things, the residents of the site as well. The Positive Energy gathered in the form of the Persona-users can also attract other types of malignant creatures as well, so they might become targets as well."

"…"

"In particular, there is a group of unique Shadows that seem to be able to exist outside of the Dark Realms… although that is in itself a theory as well… These unique Shadows might be able to command lesser Shadows or create their own Dark Realms perhaps… we have very little to go by actually. However, it has been confirmed that this group is actively collecting these forms of energy, either by attacking Persona-users or absorbing the Negative Energy over time covertly. This is why we dispatched an agent here to monitor the area."

"I see… so basically, the Midnight Channel caused the energy to build up here, and now there are things looking to harvest that energy… I get as much but… " Rise turned to her grey-haired Sempai. "Why are you with them now?"

"Hmmm... I have my reasons…"

The redhead raised an eyebrow at the non-committal response but decided to sigh in the end.

"So… what now?"

"Our agent will continue to monitor the town. Unfortunately, we are rather shorthanded at the moment, so it will take a while for further reinforcement to arrive. However, the agent I placed here is one of our very best. So rest assured."

"Hah… then again… why did you tell me all this? Are you trying to recruit me too?"

"Ah… hahaha… it just felt a bit nostalgic… so I guess I got a bit loose with my words. Recruitment would be great, but not all Persona-users are suitable to be part of the organization, for Persona itself is a phenomenon contained within a Dark Realm since it utilizes the huge amount of the fluid energy within to manifest the human psyche. Only those with exceptional amounts of that Potential can manifest their Personas outside of the Dark Realm, not to mention the amount of training required to master one for this purpose. What I had in mind was more of an extra pair of eyes around the town, an additional contact who knows of the situation and can inform us quickly if any emergency happened so we can send our agents to intervene."

Rise considered the situation for a moment before nodding in agreement.

"I can do that."

The silver-haired man bowed formally once more in gratitude.

"Thank you. That would be very helpful. Seta-kun will give you the secured number for some of our other contacts and our agent, Amada-kun."

Rise smiled for the first time today.

"Glad to help." She turned to her Sempai again. "Will you be here for a while? Naoto-kun will be crossed with you if you don't go say hi to her."

"Huh? Ah, erm… that's…"

The older man could not help but laugh at the embarrassed expression on the usually unflappable Souji.

"I've some matters to attend to here, so we should be here for a couple of days. Go ahead and visit your friends, family and lover."

Souji sent a withering look over to the senior man, although he was a little glad for that arrangement. However, a movement by the side of the hospital bed caught his attention

"Hey, where do you think you're going? You're hurt pretty bad."

"I'm going to find Kimiko."

* * *

The faint click of the door knob briefly intruded on the silence of the ward before the soft rustle of newspapers and the sound of the door opening added to the welcome disquiet.

"It's just us Ryou-kun."

The bespectacled man with wavy raven-esque hair observed the new entrants with a piercing gaze before he nodded in acknowledgement. He lowered the large broadsheets slowly, revealing the tell-tale glint of a menacing-looking Smith and Wesson 500 magnum.

Sighing softly as his all too serious and at times trigger-happy friend, Akihiko turned and ushered the two high-school students into the ward. Rise settled into the metal visitor's chair beside the bed before she reached for and held her friend's hand, needing to feel its reassuring warmth.

"How is she?"

"Tsukimiya Kimiko-san has no real physical damage, except for fatigue and exhaustion." answered the stoic man that had been guarding her for a while.

"Then why isn't she awake?"

"The damage may be on a spiritual and psychological level. She almost had her soul plucked out, so that may take some time to heal." explained Akihiko of what he knew of her situation.

"I see…"

A somewhat awkward silence fell upon the room thereafter, although it was broken a few moments later by the ringing of a cell-phone.

"Hello… Fuuka… umm…"

Reading the situation, the silver-haired man excused himself to take the call outside while motioning for his comrade to follow him. This left Rise alone with her sempai in the ward.

"Neh… why was Kimiko targeted?"

"Hmm… we are not sure yet. She may have the Potential to use Personas within her, but we cannot confirm that without further investigation."

Concern clouded Rise's expression further.

"I got her into this… it's my fault…"

"It would have been much worse if you were not around."

Souji patted the former idol's shoulder gently before he made for the door.

"I'll get you something to drink. What do you want?"

"Juice."

"Got it."

After the door to the ward clicked close once more, Rise let out a much heavier sigh than she had so far. Doing so earlier would no doubt let on more than she wanted to in the presence of the three men.

"Persona eh?"

The redhead began to trace circles on the nook between her friend's thumb and index finger unconsciously as she closed her eyes and tried to recall the previous night's events. She could remember most of what happened up to her injury, but what happened after seemed to be shrouded in a strange haze.

* * *

"_I want to live!" _

"_Hahaha… that's not going to happ-" taunted a similar yet distorted voice, although the taunt soon gave way to shock and surprise. "What the-" _

_Sounds of fighting broke out soon after. _

"_Impossible! What the hell are you?"_

_A new voice, __deeper and sultrier than before spoke out._

"_You picked on the wrong girl."_

_Myriad flashes of light__, the thunderous clash of breaking glass and the howl of swirling wind followed immediately after. The sudden onset of the intense light cleared away some of the murk that hindered her vision, revealing the back of a glowing figure in black that hovered atop her friend. A flowing white scarf billowed out behind the imposing black figure, concealing most of its face under the coiled white fabric, revealing only hints of a silver-grey eye amidst its long unruly white hair. That black figure raised a single finger up just before a beam of bluish-white light shot skywards._

"_Final Reckoning." announced the unfamiliar voice just as multiple pillars of light descended from the sky, decimating all things Shadow__ within its considerable reach._

"_Kimiko…"__ uttered Rise weakly as a pillar of light consumed her as well, although she felt no additional hurt at all, much to her surprise._

_The black figure flickered briefly and began to fade into the darkness just as the familiar auburn-haired girl turned towards Rise with a smile… except… there was something disturbingly different about her…_

"_Yoroshiku…"_

* * *

Rise sighed once again when no further details came up despite her latest recollection of the event. She focused on her friend's delicate features once more, trying to discern just what had been different about her last night…

"Kimiko-chan…"

There were questions, but the thought of letting go of her hand never even came about.

* * *

A/N:

In celebration of the Persona 4 anime. Looks good so far.

Reviews are very welcome. Till the next chapter then.

* * *

Omake 5: Gift

Within a large Japanese style room, clear rings emanated several times from an antique phone before tiny hands lifted them off the hook and towards an equally tiny ear.

"H-Hello…"

The face of the young pig-tailed girl lit up and matched the shade of her vivid scarlet hair upon recognising the voice on the other end of the line.

"Aki!"

The little girl bounced up and down several times before calming down, nodding several times into the receiver.

"Okay! Please wait!"

The little redhead placed the phone carefully on the tabletop before bounding over the tatami flooring to the kitchen, tugging at the hem of a lacy strawberry-print apron.

"Kizuna-chan! Dinner isn't ready yet."

"Obasan! Aki's on the line!"

"Oh, again? Hmm…" The blonde lady wiped her hands on her apron before they were grabbed by the highly excited little girl and yanked towards the living room. "Sorry En-chan, but can you finish up? I'll be back soon."

Light careened off the edge of a raised kitchen knife before the small but sure hands that held it quickly went to work on the carrots, shredding them neatly with amazing speed. The little redhead made a pouty face at that prospect before she returned to her task of half-dragging the blonde to the phone.

"Hi, I didn't expect to hear from you so soon… Oh, she's in the study… Huh? Present? You've even counted me in? The kids too? I don't quite comprehend… Alright, I'll get her on the phone."

The blonde placed a hand on the receiver before hollering over to the kitchen.

"En-chan, can you come to the study too after you're done with the chopping?"

Not waiting for a response that was unlikely to come anyway, the blonde transferred the call to a portable cell before making her way over, knocking lightly on the sliding door that led to the study.

"Come in."

Within the large Japanese study, several monitors on the walls were currently activated, each bearing an image of important looking men of varying nationalities. A large oak table and an armchair were facing away from the entrance and towards the monitors, the latter of which turned slightly around at the sound of the sliding door to address the two entrants.

"I'm sorry. Are we interrupting?"

The woman in the armchair beamed at the two and motioned for the little girl that sported the same brilliant scarlet locks to come over, lifting her up to her lap.

"That's okay. We were just about done as well." The older redhead looked back at the monitors. "Is there any other business?"

"No Madam." came the chorus of replies before they bade their leave and signed off.

"Akihiko's on the phone. He says it's important." continued the blonde, extending the cellphone which the redhead received gratefully.

"Hello… huh? A present…? In my email…? Now? Erm… alright…"

A few clicks and a download later, the redhead opened the image file that her friend had indicated.

"…"

"…"

The little girl looked up at her mommy and aunt with her big slate-grey eyes after noticing that they had not moved for a while. She could understand neither the expression on their faces, nor the reason behind the tears that hung precariously at the edge of their eyes. Still, she decided that she did not like the idea of her mommy crying and tried to dab away the wetness as gently as she could with the end of her long sleeves.

"Akihiko… this…"

A slender finger caressed image on the LCD screen gently, as though doing so will help make the blurry side-view clearer, or more real for that matter.

"_**I'm still trying to confirm things**__**… Nothing's certain but… maa… you know… I thought this would make a good present, a little belated though it may be."**_

"Thank you… Akihiko…" breathed the young mother of two while the sliding door opened once more.

"_**Happy Birthday, Mitsuru.**_"


	7. Scent of Rain

Persona: After Story by Wordsworthy

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own The Shin Megami Tensei series since obviously Atlas does, along with all other references made over the course of the story. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and no profit motive whatsoever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.

* * *

Chapter 7: Scent of rain

Outside the room where the primary victim slept under the watchful eye of her friend, a slightly heated conversation was taking place between two visiting individuals.

"What do you mean no!?"

The more senior of the two men sighed at the reaction of the aggravated young man. He had the impression that he was more of the cool, stoic type. However, it as it turns out, he was almost as hot-headed as himself when he was younger.

"Didn't you listen to my explanation earlier? High-level Persona users are the targets. With your Potential, you're only going to attract every little thing that goes bump in the dark."

"I can handle them."

"With sufficient training, yes."

"I mean now!"

"You do know that this is a hospital."

Yes, they were more similar than he initially thought. A one track mind, a head as hard as a rock, overprotectiveness of their friends… he suddenly felt a renewed appreciation for his scarlet-haired keeper from a few years back. That and an understanding of why she sighed so often back then, since he found himself doing the same as well.

"Members of S.E.E.S who come of age and graduate from the training have the option of becoming part of the Shadow Operatives. You're good, but not quite there yet at the moment."

"Amada-san is even younger than me, and he's a Shadow Operative!" retorted the grey-haired younger man quickly, although he did keep his tone even as requested.

"He's an exception. Besides, in terms of skills and experience, he's one of the best, one of the single digits." explained the senior operative matter-of-factly.

"Grrr…"

He sighed once more. This was getting tiresome.

"Once Amada recovers, he will return to his post. If it makes you feel more at ease, we will stay in Inaba for a few days to consolidate our presence here."

"Huh?"

The slightly surprised reaction was a start. At least he wasn't grinding his teeth anymore.

"You have relatives here, don't you Seta-kun? Why don't you take some time off? I will let the school know that you are away on official duties."

"…"

The pause was a good sign. It meant that he was thinking about it. A wry smile presented itself on the older man's face.

"Besides, I'm sure you want to spend some time alone with your girlfriend."

"A-Ah wha- How did you…?"

A bout of hearty laughter erupted from the white-haired older man. Despite all the things hanging over his head at the moment, he was still amused by the fact that he had finally found a way to push his younger charge's buttons for a priceless expression.

"You just told me."

* * *

The rest of the night passed uneventfully. Leaving Amada, Rise and her new friend to recuperate at the hospital with the skilled gun-user as their guard, the remaining two members of the vanguard investigation team proceeded to make their accommodation arrangements for the next few days in the early hours of the morning.

For the white-haired man, accommodations turned out to be a reservation at a local Ryokan, one of the finest in the area. However, for the younger one, he was presently standing in front of a familiar doorway, awaiting the response to the doorbell he had just pressed. Despite the unearthly timing, a sleepy but sweet voice came through the intercom after a while.

"Yes…?"

"Erm… I'm home…?"

"Oni-chan!?"

Not long after that excited exclamation, the rapid patter of little feet could be heard before the door promptly swung open, revealing a small girl in a white one-piece pyjamas.

"Oni-chan!"

The small girl leapt forward and hurtled headlong into the young visitor's gut area in delight, glomping him so hard that he actually fell unto his behind with a light 'ommph'.

"It's nice to see you too Nanako."

"Oni-chan! Oni-chan! Oh, but why are you here?"

Not really wanting to explain his unusual circumstances, the visitor just laughed lightly and awkwardly in lieu of a proper answer, not that Nanako would really mind. However, the yawning adult in a dated striped pyjamas coming up towards the door might appreciate one.

"Nanako, who's at the door at this hour, and on a Saturday… huh… Souji? What are you doing here?"

"Ahahaha… I came to visit for a while…? Ahahaha…"

The blank laughter continued for a while.

* * *

A pair of unsure hands practically made afterimages of themselves as they flicked through the many clothes hangers in a closet, with occasional pieces of clothing pulled out of them and deposited on a conveniently placed bed nearby. A head of messy navy blue bed-hair turned this way and that every so often to compare the contents in the two areas as well, all the while doing one of her usual logic-grinding soliloquys.

"Matagu… what's with that person… he messes up my inner mind every single time…"

All this actually started this morning when an innocuous enough text came through her cell-phone. Moving more on instincts than being actually awake, she had reached for the phone and read the text quite reflexively. It was to be a few minutes before she shot straight up from the covers of her bedding.

The heading of the simple message read "I'm back."

Hence the current situation.

"Mou… I'm really going to give him a piece of my mind later on…"

In all truth, her words did not really sound that convincing, considering the expression she had on her face as she looked into a full length mirror with varying combinations of clothing held over her nightclothes.

After a short aesthetic dilemma cropped up and was promptly resolved, a relatively short girl in a white blouse and slim pants made her way down the stairs and past the lounge before she stopped and backtracked a little.

"Grandfather, I am going out for the day."

The wizened elderly gentleman puffing idly on a pipe looked up from the morning papers and accorded his favourite grand-daughter a brief quirk of his bushy white brows. A brief silence hung in the air for a few seconds before he nodded in acknowledgement and went back to his papers. Just as the grand-daughter was about to make for the door though, he gave a belated reply that caused her to stumble in her tracks.

"Bring him back home for dinner some time."

At a loss for words, the short girl was about to say something before her grandfather looked up a second time and held her with a kind gaze and a knowing smile. Defeat was, as they say, determined when one could no longer envision his or her victory. Furthermore, this was her grandfather.

"O-Okay." was the meek reply.

Watching the fast-disappearing back of his grand-daughter through the windows as she scurried away from their home with nearly flaming ears, he turned to a recently entered middle-aged steward who was refilling his teacup with a request.

"Yakushiji, I'm in the mood for red rice tonight."

"Oh?"

For the first time in a while, the Shirogane manor was briefly filled with laugher.

* * *

"Sempai!"

The said figure sitting at their favourite table turned around as she pulled up from a little jog flashed her that quiet wry smile that she missed so much, causing her heart rate to speed up a little more.

"Naoto."

Her heart skipped another few beats at that. In fact, she was starting to feel a little giddy just from hearing her sempai call her name like that again. A strange feeling welled up in the pits of her stomach at the same time as well.

"Erm… Sempai… it's good to see you…"

Before she could put together a coherent greeting for the person she had been looking forward to meeting, the world seemed to have other ideas and decided to be top-heavy all of a sudden. Her sight began to swirl in an anti-clockwise manner, so she tried to sway more to the right to compensate for it…

"Naoto!"

* * *

The next thing the blue-haired girl knew was that her new white newsboy cap was lying just in front of her. However, when she tried to reach for it, a strange but warm resistance seemed to stand in her way by enveloping her sides. Tilting her head sideways, he saw a familiar face that was filled with concern and worry.

"I'm going to move you to the bench okay?"

At a simple nod and an odd uplifting sensation later, the blue-haired girl found herself reclining quite comfortably on the long bench nearby, especially with a warm hand gentling patting her head, smoothening out the kinks in her short but unruly tresses.

"Do you know what's wrong with you?"

"Hmmm… accelerated heart beats, distorted vision, nausea, contractions of the stomach area… the likely conclusion is that… I had forgotten to eat breakfast… I think…"

The grey-haired sempai shook his head half in exasperation and half in bemusement. Trust her mind to remain so overly logical and rational at a time like this. Making a quick motion with his free hand, a small Dorayaki was placed before the girl and pressed lightly upon her cherry-like lips, enticing her with the aroma of its rich Azuki bean paste.

"Here, munch on this."

As the girl obliged obediently and attacked the small pastry with little bites, she sighed and closed her eyes contently. It was then that she could make out a series of light cooing sounds and ill-covered giggles. When realization finally set in, her eyes sprang wide open and she tried to sit up right away from the incriminating lap pillow. Unfortunately enough however, all that she managed to do was to head-butt her beloved sempai in the process of trying.

"Oww!"

"Ouch!"

"Snrk… Heehee…! Ahaha, ahahahahahahaha!"

The distinctive laughing fit of one of their comrades filled the air while more reserved guffaws followed suit after the dam holding back their laughter broke.

"Ahahaha… I-I can't stop… Heehee! Oh Naoto-kun, my stomach!"

"Haha… my sides…"

Turning her head slowly to benches on the other side of her, she was mortified to find her other three sempais seated there and laughing uncontrollably. In fact, her face literally turned red, then white, and back to red again, signifying the progress of her embarrassment from the initial shock response, to the more thought-out apprehension, before reverting back to a more generalised all-rounded embarrassment.

Unable to bear with the complete and utter loss of all her dignity and bearings after the uncharacteristically lovey-dovey display, the younger girl could only turn and bury her burning face into her sempai's chest.

"Well, this is…"

"Hahaha… don't mind us, really."

"Yeah, feel free to get all hot and heavy."

"Look Chie, Naoto-kun's blushing all the way to her…"

"Yukiko-sempai!"

The newly outed couple could only take the good-natured jibes with what zen they could muster, which was not very much to say the least.

* * *

"In celebration of Souji's return to Inaba, cheers!"

"Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

"Welcome back sempai!"'

"Yeah, welcome back Sensei!"

"We missed ya lots!"

"And from what I hear, some more than others it would seem!"

"Rise!"

The rooftop food-court in Junes was livelier than usual today, and the fact that it was the weekend was just part of the reason. The bigger part of it was the gathering of eight teenagers who were more or less regulars of this place. It was their secret headquarters after all.

"Thanks. It feels good to be back." replied the reason for the gathering this afternoon. Even though some of them had made plans for the weekend, news of their friend's sudden return was cause enough to drop everything and congregate back here. Even Rise who was discharged just an hour ago came here instead of going home, in all her bandaged glory no less.

"How are things in the big city Souji?"

The grey-haired teenager made a complicated expression as he thought his answer over.

"The usual."

The others laughed at the nostalgic return of the familiar manzai routine between Yosuke and Souji. It was a far cry from the couples act earlier, but it was still good.

"More importantly, what happened to you Rise?" asked a somewhat revived Naoto in concern for her friend.

"Yeah, did you give someone a headbutt or something?"

"K-Kanji! You too?"

Everyone other than the couple of the moment laughed at their expense once more as the short blue-nette shrank and sulked a little at her special seat beside her important other. At least her friends were considerate like that.

"Sempai, make them stop…" whined Naoto softly under her breath, intending only for her sempai to hear it.

The person in question gave it some thought before replying in an apologetic tone.

"Well, the scoring-thing did last for more than a year with these people…"

"Souji-kun!"

A little glaring competition started between Yukiko and Souji before the tension was broken when their collective memories from the past year resurfaced, causing everyone to break out into laughter once more. Even so, any further references to the status of the newly minted couple should be stalled for a while. After all, the grey-haired young man did just skilfully remind the group that as the one person who had seen all their embarrassing sides… they really should know better than to mess with him and his girl too much. That, and his partially photographic memory for that matter.

"Anyway… back to the original question…"

Rise looked towards Souji for a moment before the latter gave a nod in the affirmative. They were a tight group after all, and all of them were basically involved in this odd circumstance whether they liked it or not.

"Well… it's like this…"

* * *

Meanwhile, in a certain ryokan not too far away, a plain cell-phone rang for the third time before the panelled door to the showers opened amidst a thin veil of steam and heat. A tall, well-built figure with multiple scars and tousled silver-white hair emerged from it and made a beeline for the device.

"It's me… Don't worry about it… What… Stolen cargo…? What's in this cargo…?"

The man's expression darkened.

"Anti-Shadow weapon?"

His steely grey eyes lit up in surprise.

"Inaba?"

Coincidence, he thought not.

* * *

A/N: It seems that Persona 4 Arena and Golden came out while I was noticing. Oh well, I can always accommodate them into my greater scheme of things in this continuity.

Reviews are welcome, feedback even more so.

* * *

Omake 6: Some things never change

The little girl with clear slate-grey eyes and scarlet pigtailed hair looked up at the older, much taller version of herself and tilted her head innocently to a side.

"Mommy..."

"Yes, Kizuna-chan..."

"What are you doing?"

The mother of the endearing little girl smiled warmly at her and lowered herself to the child's level, patting and kissing the top of her head with untold affection.

"Mommy has to go back to Japan for a few days. I will miss you too, but Kikuno-onee-san will be here to look after you."

The sweet angelic girl nodded knowingly in response, but then she changed her mind and shook her head from side to side, twirling her pigtails cutely in the process.

"That's not it Mommy. I know you are leaving again, but why are you not packing your clothes?"

"Ah, that..."

Her invincible Mommy faltered a little at that. She had taken out some of the more functional outfits in her extensive walk-in wardrobe that seemed to suit the purpose of the trip, but... coordinating them properly was a gift that she had yet to receive. She was going to wait for Kikuno, her head maid and personal stylist, to arrive before deciding, but...

"Tell you what Kizuna-chan, why don't you choose some outfits for Mommy."

"Really? Yay!"

After a few moments, the little girl proudly led her Mommy out to the lounge area where her Aunt was waiting while the sound of a television being rapidly channelsurfed floated vaguely in the background.

"Aigis..."

"Mitsuru..."

The attire picked out for the blonde Aunt was a dark military-like coat dress with a black suit and red tie ensemble while the redhead Mommy had a large white fur coat on with a black figure-hugging catsuit underneath. Both women looked each other over and promptly sweat-dropped for reasons other than their thick clothing.

"Mitsuru..."

"Don't say it..."

The curse continues.


End file.
